Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched a sensational attack on the new Covid booster vaccines and urged Floridians under 65 not to take them.
The Republican presidential candidate claimed the shots “have not been proven to be safe or effective” and accused the CDC of using “healthy Floridians as guinea pigs.”
Despite strong rhetoric, Florida’s decision to restrict vaccines for healthy young and middle-aged people is not without precedent, with countries like the United Kingdom also doing the same with their booster campaign. ‘autumn.
DeSantis gained fans during the pandemic for his tough stance against Covid lockdowns and mandates, but has been criticized more recently for promoting flawed vaccine data.
After hosting a vaccine panel Wednesday, DeSantis said, “I will not stand idly by and let the FDA and CDC use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots whose safety or effectiveness has not been proven.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched sensational attack on new Covid booster vaccines
“Once again, Florida is the first state in the nation to stand up and provide guidance based on truth and not edicts from Washington.”
The comments place DeSantis firmly to the right of his rival and Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, who led the development of mRNA Covid vaccines.
An estimated 96% of Americans now have antibodies to Covid, following previous infection or vaccination, which has made the disease increasingly mild for most people.
The low risk of severe illness has reduced the need for vaccines among young people, but experts say they remain vital for the elderly or chronically ill.
Dr. Paul Offit, one of the FDA’s vaccine advisers, previously told DailyMail.com that a comprehensive vaccination strategy was “low risk, low reward.”
The U.K. stopped recommending the boosters to middle-aged and younger Britons, but taxpayers there paid for the shots, which may have played a part in the decision.
Florida’s vaccine discussion on Wednesday was led by Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the state’s vaccine-skeptical surgeon general who was hand-picked by Gov. DeSantis in 2021.
Dr. Lapado also promoted the false claim that there was “not a drop of clinical trial data” supporting the new Covid vaccines.
He said after the roundtable: “Once again, the federal government is failing Americans by refusing to be honest about the risks and failing to provide enough clinical evidence regarding these injections. COVID-19 mRNA, especially given the current extent of immunity.
“In Florida, we will always use common sense and protect the rights and freedoms of Floridians, including the right to accurate information.”
Dr Ladapo has repeatedly backed claims that Covid vaccines cause widespread heart problems among young people, a link that has been repeatedly refuted by large studies.
mRNA injections have been linked to a very low risk of myocarditis in young people, affecting around one in 30,000 people under 40 after their second injection.
But cases are normally mild and resolve on their own without requiring any medical intervention.
Covid infection is also more likely to trigger myocarditis than vaccines, studies » indicate, making the question even more nuanced.
And data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cardiac deaths among Americans under 34 are similar to pre-pandemic levels.
The updated Covid shots, approved this week by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have been deemed safe for anyone aged six months and older and have been recommended for anyone in that age range.
